Living to make much of Jesus

God Speaks Through Humbling Circumstances….Start Listening

who reveals his thoughts to mankind…. (Amos 4:13).

It is a remarkable thought to contemplate that the God of the universe who created the earth, the seas, and the skies speaks to me. He not only speaks to us, but He came down to us, in humility to become a baby boy, so that He could show us the fullest extent of sacrificial love.

Did we ever pause and think that God speaks to us in the form of a baby boy more than in the form of a majestic, all-powerful king? Of course, God is always majestic and all-powerful, so here’s what I mean by that, we are often looking for God to speak, but He already is through humbling circumstances in our lives. God practiced such humility by coming down in the form of a baby. Could it be that His voice is shouting at us through our circumstances in life that feel insignificant? The ones where we are of very little importance? The ones where we are made to look small? We keep asking God to speak, but He’s banging on the door of our hearts through a neighbor walking through a crisis, a young mom facing divorce, a child crying out for help from an abusive home and a baby in need of one more late night feeding.

What about the abused wife crying out for help? What we do for her reveals much about our character and our willingness to hear from God. What we do for the lonely, divorced woman months after her husband walked away shows us where our priorities lie. The intentions of our hearts are revealed when our time is interrupted by someone of small significance. Yet, this is where the voice of God most often speaks, not when we are performing great acts for God amongst a great crowd of people as we sit upon our own personal thrones, but in the places where only God sees us in the shadows of His mercy. In the places of humility where we are challenged to become like a baby born in Bethlehem, humbling ourselves so that others might be lifted up.

If you want to hear God’s voice, start listening to the hurting, join them in their pain and seek together the goodness of God. If you want to hear God’s voice, stop speaking so much and start listening. As you walk in humility seeking not the throne but the manger we see that God loves people. After all, He became one to rescue and redeem. He left His throne so that we could receive His love. It’s time for us to leave our thrones too and seek the same humility that we find in a manger in Bethlehem.

Lord, my heart needs you. I am desperate for you Lord. I long to hear from you. I am sure there are many times you’re trying to speak to me through humbling circumstances, but I’m too selfish to hear what you have to say because I neglect so often to care for the vulnerable. Lord, I want to have a heart that is committed to loving and serving others. I long to hear your voice more, so today I submit my desire to be someone special to your grace, change me, I pray, in Jesus name, Amen.